Shields Gazette staff are celebrating after leading the way for the UK nationals no less than three times in one week.

The local South Tyneside daily was first with major exclusives which were then followed up by national newspapers, radio and television.

First the Gazette revealed the tragic story of an attack on a six-week-old puppy, which led to it being put down.

An anonymous man reported that he had rescued the animal from yobs who were throwing it around like a football – leaving it with severe brain damage.

There was a public outcry about the callous act and people from right across the country sent the Gazette almost £2,500 in reward money to help root out the thugs.

But, as the Gazette also reported exclusively, it was found that the man, who turned out to be the dog’s owner, had lied, and the pup had been injured in its own home.

The Gazette’s headline, based on his contemptuous reply when doorstepped by a reporter, was ‘Stuff The Dog’ – which was then copied in the Sun. The story again went national on radio and television.

Next, the Gazette broke the news about South Tyneside Council stripping six horse chestnut trees of their branches, to stop children throwing sticks at the conkers, and risking life and limb to get at them.

How the Gazette broke the ‘conkers’ story

The story was followed up the next day in The Sun, Daily Mail, Daily Express and the Guardian, and GMTV carried a feature on the back of the story which is set to keep running and running.

For its third exclusive the Gazette turned to sport, and supported by an amazing photograph, the newspaper revealed how Boldon Cricket Club lost the Durham Senior League title because of a fluke ball which sailed between a set of stumps without touching the sides or dislodging the bails.

Carrying the same photograph, the story again went national in the Mirror and the Daily Telegraph.

Editor John Szymanski said: “It has been an unprecedented week with a brilliant run of news and sport stories flying in.

“The Gazette team worked their socks off and the reward was these terrific exclusives and excellent looking front pages.

“I am delighted that once again the Gazette has risen to the occasion when called upon and the staff have done a magnificent job.”

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